Corn harvester and husker



' (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

' G3 B. SNOW.

'OORN HARVESTER AND HUSKER. No. 353,384. Patented Nov.30, 1886;

N PEYERS Prmomno n hu, wmin lm gi-G (No Model.) 4 Sheets--Sheet G. B. SNOW.

005m HARVESTER AND HUS-KER.

No. 353,384. Patented N0v.'30,1886.

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R "RR a 4 SheetsSheet 3.

(No Model.) I

G. B. SNOW.

CORN HARVESTER AND HUSKBR.

No. 353,884. 9 Paflzegted Nov. 30, 1886.

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4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

G. B. SNOW.

CORN HARVESTER AND HUSKBR.

(No Model.)

No. 353,384. Patented Nov. 30, 1886.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GILBERT B. SNOlV, OF SUGAR GROVE, ASSIGNOR TO VILLIAM .DEERING, OF

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CORN HARVE'STER AND HUSKER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 353,384, dated November 30, 1886.

Application filed October 6, 1884. Serial No. 144,879. (No model.) A

, To all whom it may concern: so located that the feet of the attendant may E Be it known that I, GILBERT B. SNOW, of rest upon its ends. By pressure upon the ends Sugar Groove, in the county of Kane and State of this lever the forward end of the gatheringi of Illinois, have invented certain new and use frame may be swung to conform to the siuuosi- 5 ful Improvements in Corn Harvesters and ties of the row of corn being gathered. The Huskers, of which the following is a full demechanism for adjusting the height of the forj scription, reference being had to the accomward end ofthe gathering-frame does not differ panying drawings, in whichfrom that shown and described in the patent Figure l is aplan view of the machine. Fig. before referred to. 10 2 is a left-hand side elevation. Fig. 3 is a F is a shaft extending across the rear of the front elevation of the yoke for giving stiffness machine, driven by the gearing already mento the gathering-frame and to form a support tioued, and having the sprocket wheel F. for the gearing that moves the gathering- Immediately above the sprocket-wheel is that chains. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the F on the shaft F Connecting these wheels 15 picking mechanism and its supports, showing is the chain F The shaft F is supported in particularly the two guide-plates which overbearings in the bracket F which in turn is lie the rolls. Fig. 5 is a perspective detail supported on the bracket F, and adapted to view of the slide which gives motion to the vibratehoiizoutally. ThebracketF isadapted stem-breaking bar. Fig. 6 is a perspective to be adjusted vertically on the support F. 20 view of the mechanism for giving elastic sup- This last support is a gas-pipe, (so made for port to the picking-rollers. Fig. 7 is introlightness) and projects upward from the duced to illustrate the effect of lengthening bracket F which is bolted to the main frameout the ear-guiding plates. Fig. 8 is a rear work of the machine. By this vertical adjustend View of the gears connecting the pickingment the chain F is kept taut. In the tops 2 5 rollers and for moving the stem-breaking bar. of the upreaching arms of the bracket F the Fig. 9 isaperspective View of the pivotal supshaft F has bearings, and 011 the shaft is port for the gathering-frame. mounted the bev cl-gear G, whieh meshes into This improvement relates to the class of mathe bevel-pinion G, keyed to the shaft G of chines shown and described in Letters Patent one of the picking-rollers. 30 No. 311,526 to Randall and Snow. As far as given, the description is but arep- As this invention is confined to details of etition of that above referred to. Attention construction, onlya general description of the will now be given to the details which form machine, as a whole, need be given. 7 the subject-matter of the present invention.

A is the main frame; A, the draft-tongue. As my device for permitting the picking- 5 B is themainsupporting and traction wheel." rollers to act upon the stems of the corn yield- B is the lesser supporting and traction wheel. ingly will be first described, attentionis called 0 is the gearing for giving motion to the vato Figs. 4: and 6, where the parts are better rious parts. D is the attendants seat. shown. V E and F/ are the side bars of the gathering G and G are the shafts of the picking-rolh 9o 40 frame, so far separated from each other that a ers. One upon each is mounted the gears G stalk of corn may be carried by the gatheringand G These do not mesh together, as in the chains upward between them. The gatherearlier machine, but are from preference of ing-frame is pivoted at Ft to the main frame larger diameter in relation to the rollers which so as to be capable of lateral vibrations at its they drive, and, beitig so large that they can- 45 front end. The gatheringframe is suspended not be brought to intermesh without crowd from the bar A of the main frame by the rods ing the rollers too far apart, they are so placed E and E, which depend from the arms of the that their peripheries pass one by the side of shaft E and take it at a point not far fromits the other.

center of gravity. By means of the rod E the I mount the bearing of the roller-shaft G in 50 gathering-frame is connected to the arm E of the crotched end of a rod, around which I coil a rock-shaft provided with the foot-lever E, a wire spring. This rod I support in a bracket on the gathering-frame, and provide means for regulating the tension of the spring, consisting ofthe nuts a threaded on the rods. Each rod is provided with two nuts, as shown, which may be set against the opposite sides of the supporting-bracket at will in order to hold the rod rigidly in place and thus prevent the yielding action of the roll when demanded. The roller-shaft Gr receives its motion from the gearing, as already described, and from this I transmit power to the roller G by the wheels G and G, the four wheels intermeshing, as shown. As the gear-wheels G and Gr are in different vertical planes and overlap at the edges, I make either the wheel'G or G with a face sufficiently wide to engage the two connecting-wheels in different planes. The wheels G and G revolve loosely on pins on a cross-bar of the gathering-frame. The yielding of the spring permits the shaft G3 to recede from the shaft havingthe opposing roller,

and'in this movement the gear Gr shifts its position in relation to that which drives it the gear G -but as the movement is in the direction to not materially disturb the proper rolling of the two gears together, I provide no mechanism to keep the exact distancebetween their centers constant.

The next feature of my invention relates to the device for breaking the ears from the stems, consisting of the bar H, its foremost end adapted to enter and slide in a slot in the lug H and vibrate over the picking-rollers, and bend the stems of the ears sharply while they are drawn tightly between the said rollers.

Upon the bracket which forms a support and-bearings for the picking-rollers are the upwardly-turned lugs H and H forming a support at their summits for the rod H, upon which slide the sleeves shown in Fig. 5. This bracket has the sleeve-bearings H and H and is thus adapted to slide upon the rod H. H is an eye provided in the casting for receiving the bolt H by which the arm H", forming a part of the breaker H, is pivotally secured thereto. The bracket is also provided with the wrist H, connected to which and to a wrist on the wheel H is the pitmanH. The gear H is suitably mounted on the gatheringframe, and receives its motion from the pinion H, cast as one piece with the gear G.

As it is desirable that the breaker should be adjustable, so as to vary the height above the rollers as well as to vary the effective stroke when moving to break the cars from the stems, I provide the bar with the plate H having vertical slots and bolted therethrough to the said bar. By loosening the bolts H the plate may be raised or lowered, as required, and there resecured at will.

The arm H is provided with the slot H, and is so pivoted at H to the bar that it may be swung in either direction in relation to the latter, limited only by the length of the slot, and the said bar thus thrown forward so as to move a greater distance after reaching the ears,

whose stems may be drawn between the rollers.

Heretofore I have terminated the gathering- I chains very nearly at the forward ends of the pickingrollers. I now raise them sufficiently high above the rollers that I may extend them well along after reaching their forward ends. Parallel with the gathering chains, and serving as guides forthe ears of corn, are the plates L and L, one upon each side of the stalks as they are fed along. These plates are but as far apart as the diameter of a large cornstalk, and they are continued upward to a point where the rollers, enlarging rearwardly as they do, form so narrow a space that even small ears are not likely to be taken through. It is plain that, should the ear-guides terminate at the beginning of the rollers, a space would be left so large that ears of no small size might drop through. Fig. 7 is introduced to illustratethe point under consideration more clearly. If the plates terminate as shown by full lines iri the figure, the open space 00 is left; but ifthey are continued onward as shown in dotted lines, the space no longer appears.

The forward-reaching arms E and E of the gathering-frame being from necessity very long, need some support to keep them from springing apart. I provide the two strong U shaped yokes I and I, and secure their ends to the sides of the gathering-frame, one to each. These arches by their stiffness serve to keep the members of the frame from spreading, and I make them serve the further purpose of a support for the gearing that gives motion to the gathering chains. The yokes are prevented from falling forward or being drawn backward by the brace I, which serves to tie its top to the gathering-frame. At the summit of the yoke I place the horizontal shaft I, mounted in suitable bearings, and having the sprocket-wheel I and the miter-gears 1 and 3, meshing into which are the gears2 and 4 on the upper ends of the shafts I and I These last shafts are suitably supported in bearings on the side bars of the yokes, and have at their lower ends the gears 5 and 6. These in turn mesh into the gears 7. and 8, secured to which are the sprocket-wheels I and I, which carry the gathering-chains already described. The

sprocket-wheel I is thus the prime mover of both gathering-chains. The sprocket-wheels I and I are connected by the chains J and J. In order to carry these chains so high as to be abot e the frame-work, I provide the intermediate double wheel, J and around it throw the two chains. In order that slack may be taken up as it accumulates, Imount the double wheel on an arm pivotally secured to the top of the yoke, whicharm consists of the triangular frame J, having thestud upon the outer extremity, upon which the sprocket-wheel J turns.

J is a brace connecting the outreaching end of the arm J to the brace 1 and having a series of holes by which it may be adjusted.

I utilize the traction of the supporting- IIO wheel B as motive power for driving the elevating mechanism by providing its axle with the sprocket-wheel K. Upon the shaft K, supported in hearings on the rail A of the main frame,I place the sprocket Wheel Kfiand around it and K, Ithrow the chain Loose upon this shaft, and having asleeve-likehub which terminates in a clutch, K, is the mitergear K This meshes into the gear K on a short shaft which carries the sprocket-wheel K K is a sprocketwheel keyed to the shaft K, which directly drives the elevator. This shaft is the equivalent of that P in the previous application.

In order that the gear K may be locked to the shaft when required, I provide the clutch k, adapted to slide on the shaft, but forced to turn therewith.

k is a spring, adapted to move the clutch is into engagement with its mate, that K*. It has a circumferential groove, and receives the crotchk which is adapted to be slid endwise by the lever 70 7c is a bearing for the stern of the crotch k", and has a wing made cam-shaped, which serves to force the lever k endwiseas it is moved up and down, and thus draw the clutch out of engagement, and also to permit it to enter. The clutching mechanism is thus made controllable by the attendant. the lever being within his easy reach while in his seat.

The importance of this improvement will be seen when it is understood that in turning at the end of the row of corn to begin another it is'not possible for the driver of the wagon into which the corn is delivered to keep in position to receive the corn being elevated. At the end of the row the attendant throws the elevator out of gear and the delivery ceases. Should he start into the next row before the receiving-wagon is ready, the ears accumulate in the hopper of the elevator until upon his approach the clutches are made to engage and the elevator goes on with its work.

What I claim is- 1. In combination with the cooperating rolls adapted to admit thestanding corn between them, the longitudinal breaker-bar H, overlying one of said rolls, mechanism operating to move the rear end of the bar laterally and longitudinally, and the guide engaging the forward end of the bar and directing the same longitudinally, whereby the breaker-bar is caused to pass obliquely across the path of the stalks.

2. The picking mechanism, in combination with breaking mechanism, means whereby it may be adjusted so that the length of its stroke while in contact with the ear may be varied, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. In a corn-harvester, picking-rol1ers supported in bearings adapted to be made rigid -in relation to each other or to yield elastically, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. The two spirally-ribbed rolls reduced in diameter toward their forward ends, in combination with the two overlying guide-plates L and L, beginning at a point in advance of the rolls and extending thereover to a point at or near the termination of their reduced portions, said plates formed with broad upper surfaces, substantially as described, adapted to sustain the detached ears and prevent their descent between the rolls.

' GILBERT B. SNOW. Vitnesss:

JOHN B. KASPART, JOHN F. STEWARD. 

